Tri-Cities leaders kept families in the dark over sex offender home | Opinion

Transparency not evident with LRA

I am writing to express my frustration with the City of Kennewick and elected leaders of the 8th Legislative District, Sen. Matt Boehnke, Rep. April Connors and Rep. Stephanie Barnard regarding the placement of a Less Restrictive Alternative (LRA) house for sex offenders in our community.

The city stated that officials were notified before the property was purchased on Dec. 2, yet residents were not informed until Jan. 13. That delay alone reflects a serious lack of transparency.

What makes this even more troubling is the blatant hypocrisy in the 8th Legislative District’s elected officials’ joint statement claiming that “families in Kennewick have every right to be deeply concerned by the lack of transparency and warning surrounding a state decision that directly affects the safety of our neighborhoods.”

If they truly believe that, why were residents kept in the dark for over a month after leaders were aware?

Families do have that right — and it was ignored by the very people elected to represent us. Transparency cannot be selectively applied when it is politically convenient. Kennewick residents deserve honesty, timely notification and accountability from those elected to represent us.

Cory Miller, Kennewick

Soroptimists help girls worldwide

In the last 11 years, 138,000 girls have participated globally in Soroptimist International of the Americas (SIA) Dream It, Be It Career Support for Girls.

SIA research suggests that 90% are able to create achievable goals, understand how their values connect to possible careers and feel more confident about their futures with the help of this signature program dedicated to preparing girls for success.

Local high school girls are invited to participate, as the Soroptimist clubs of thTri-Cities host the seventh annual Dream it, Be It event on March 7 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Byron Gjerde Center, Columbia Basin College, 2600 N 20th Ave., Pasco.

Free for girls in the Tri-City area in grades 9-12, this fun program encourages participants through mentoring, dream-boarding and goal setting to pursue educational training that enables them to get future jobs, earn income, care for their families and participate in their communities. Snacks and lunch are provided. Participating seniors can apply for scholarship, awarded later in the year.

Pre-registration is required by Feb. 20. Register online or email dibi.tri.cities@gmail.com for more information.

Janet Muniz, SI of Three Rivers (Richland) and SI of Pasco-Kennewick

No terrorists in this group: reader

Are we domestic terrorists? Our fathers were WWII vets. One was a Navy radioman, one a sergeant who earned a Bronze Star during the Battle of the Bulge.

Both came home, married, raised their children to love America, respect the Constitution, say the Pledge of Allegiance and take off their hats when Old Glory passed. We experienced the discord and demonstrations of the Vietnam War but never considered protesting. And here we are, in our 70s, waving protest signs, full of disbelief, frustration, outrage.

Apparently domestic terrorists are Americans who commit violence to achieve their goals that stem from domestic, extremist ideological influence. We watch what’s happening and ask, just who are the terrorists; citizens exercising their constitutional rights or the masked agents who appear to ignore those rights while intimidating, accosting, detaining, and murdering?

Read Donald Trump’s National Security Presidential Memorandum-7 and it‘s not difficult to see it as a slippery slope to criminalizing activists. Are seniors who can no longer do nothing, take an extra anti- inflammatory and start protesting “activitists?” Will we be soon branded “domestic terrorists?” If so, then please, join us. As our grandson used to say as he sat in his carseat and watched traffic during chaotic rush hour, “People, people, what are we doing?”

Mark and Peggy Hevland, Kennewick

Will Homan stand to reveal himself?

Tom Homan replaced Greg Bovino in Minneapolis. Just wondering: Is this the same Tom Homan who, during Trump’s first term, devised the plan to snatch border crossers’ children from their parents without any plan for how or when to reunite parents and children? When done by an individual, this is called kidnapping. But when done by a government agent, kidnapping is … um … patriotic? I wonder how many children were never reunited. Also wonder if him overseeing ICE in Minneapolis means kidnapping redux.

Is this the same Tom Homan recently reported to have accepted a $50,000 bribe from undercover FBI agents and that AG Pam Bondi summarily declared had done nothing wrong?

If yes to either or both questions, Homan is clearly Trump’s kind of patriot.

Brett Menaker. Kennewick

President’s post likely to be racist

Our nation’s president posts on Truth Social a racist cartoon depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes. After trying to defend said post, it is then taken down, after bipartisan blowback. No apology, no contrition: it was taken down because he got caught! Is this what we voted for?

Our president is a racist, not because this was a “one off” mistake. Historically, this president has made his bias known, as far back as his comments regarding the Charlotte riots. Our nation’s due process laws are being trampled on, regardless of a person’s birthplace or citizenship. Instead, people are being profiled, arrested, because of the color of their skin. And this is what we voted for??

We recently traveled abroad to Europe. Every time we rode in a cab or Uber, the driver asked us about Trump, and the condition of our country. And when we reached our destination, our driver would express pity, yes pity, that our country was represented by such an individual.

When a leader shows racist behavior, any good they do for our country is tainted with the poison of their racist words and deeds. And this is not what I voted for.

Jeffrey D. Gilmore, Pasco

Kudos to Herald for Feb. 8 opinion

Kudos to the Herald for its editorial about the abysmal state of affairs at the Port of Benton. Basic ethics seems to be an alien concept for port leadership. Whether they like it or not, they are not exempt from the Washington Ethics in Public Service Act, RCW 42.52.

I will fault the Herald, however, in asking only for Commissioner Scott Keller to step down. All three commissioners need to step down.

Richard Engelmann, Richland

Mr. Trump: we didn’t want a bully

Dear Mr. President:

We didn’t elect you to threaten Greenland. Nor to bully Canada. And definitely not to become Putin’s ally. So why are you and your business/golf buddy, Witcoff, selling out Ukraine and negotiating a $12-trillion trade deal with Putin?

I’m sure tired of our foreign policy being so incoherent, so devoid of principles. Will America ever be trusted again?

Mark Douglass, Kennewick

2 ways to put us first for Trump

There are two ways to think about the expression “America First”. In Trump’s version, its basis is a very self-centered approach wherein all transactions aim to favor the U.S. (or really to favor Trump), primarily financially. This is “America Comes First.”

We can also interpret the expression as “America is First, implying global leadership. Accordingly, we would wish to lead the world in areas such as higher education, innovative technology and medical advances. We could also lead in generosity of spirit. In one year, we seem to have lost leadership in all these areas. Why has this occurred?

Among the possible reasons, the most obvious is Trump himself. Apparently out of resentment, he has trashed many of our institutions that provided world leadership. Although the MAGA crowd generally approves of what he has done, they are responding to rather than demanding such policies. It is unnatural for people to suddenly become so devoid of compassion without propaganda. I urge everyone on both sides of the aisle to consider this latter factor, where we are going as a nation, and what America First truly means.

David King, Richland

Black history is worth observing

Black history month 2026 provides another opportunity for Americans to reflect on civil rights gains and losses since passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Currently, federal, state and local governments appear to further disenfranchise minority people. They use their authority concerning laws, taxes and budgets to do so.

President Trump and the “MAGA” movement are responsible for the turmoil in America today and the Republican Party is their sponsor. Racism was the problem when the country was founded, and racism is that problem now. MAGA advocates are well imbedded in local political offices and policy making positions. Their impact is felt with city proclamations for Charlie Kirk, censored schoolbooks and eliminating DEI programs.

Such attitudes resulted in “Jim Crow” laws, bombed churches and recreational lynchings — all diabolic betrayals — all without mainstream White protests. Nonetheless, many Black patriotic activists, opposing MAGA’s injustices, are silencedby their government employment, 501c3 non-profits, and non-political affiliations.

Learning Black history could educate many about life in America without legal protections and uncertain futures. It will show how Blacks survived and excelled under “No-Kings” governments that (have) enslaved, mass incarcerated and continue to treat Black people with contempt.

Dallas Barnes, Pasco